Potatoes are nearly as delicate as apples. They can get bruised all the way from the digging machine in the field to your home storage bin. Handle them with care.

* If stored properly, general-purpose and baking potatoes will keep for several months; new potatoes will keep for several weeks.
* Look potatoes over before you store them. Set aside any that are bruised or cracked, and use them first.
* Don't wash potatoes before you store them. As it does with most other fresh produce, dampness increases the likelihood of decay.
* Store potatoes in a cool (45 to 50 °F.), dark place, with good ventilation.
* Potatoes stored at 70 to 80 °F. should be used within a week. The higher temperature often causes sprouting and shriveling.
* Potatoes stored below 40 °F. for a week or more may develop a sweet taste. This is because some of the starch has changed to sugar. To improve their flavor, store them at a high temperature for 1 to 2 weeks before using them.

Personally, room temperature has made potatoes in a coupbard go bad in about two weeks, for me, though they look dodgey after one even.

If they've been in there for two months then I'd probably chuck 'em, man.

Never had any dramas with weeks at room temperature. If they are firm when squeezed and no real sprouting, then I will use them regardless of age... as long as they are not dodgy looking once peeled.

Ours are always stored next to onions... does not seem to matter much.

Garlic... as long as it is not rotting, it gets used. I noticed you can buy the sprouts themselves now to use instead of the bulb... so even if they do sprout, feel free to chop them up and use the sprouts too.

If the room temperature is quite cool or if it is in a cellar, they can last up to a full season. like what have our ancestors done with them, they had tp store them for many months! And it functioned, just keep them dry.